It is hard to believe that we are one month into the Trinity Fellows Program. There is already so much that we’ve learned. From working a 9-to-5 job, to listening to the cares and concerns of teenagers in Student Ministry, to mentoring elementary school children at Abundant Life, to listening to one another’s stories as a group of Fellows, to learning about culture making, gratitude, and the resurrection in our seminary classes—this year has been full of learning and overflowing with blessings.

The Trinity Fellows Program has also brought up both past pain and future concerns; questions about faith, culture, and work; and how to live a godly life. As Fellows, we have already in this first month come face to face with our brokenness, and yet we have also come face to face with Christ’s faithfulness. The Trinity Fellows Program is like running a marathon. It will take endurance to keep up with this year; with such a full schedule and so many meaningful moments, we will need to treasure every opportunity for rest and solitude so that we can continue the race.

Testimony Retreat in Deltaville, VA. Photo by Margaret Hjort.

Recently, in times of reflection, I have often found myself drawn to Psalm 18:31-36. Verse 32 tells us that “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” Over the past year since leaving college, I have experienced the unsettling nature of adulthood. I have been unsure about my future, have been indecisive about my career path, and have overall been frazzled by the transition into the “real world.” In the face of all of this uncertainty, this passage provides me with hope. It tells me that God is on my side and steadies my steps. God will provide me—and all of us Fellows—with strength, especially in my moments of weakness (or even sheer exhaustion) this Fellows year. Although I am stretched, I rest secure. The devotional Our Daily Bread sums up this truth so well: “So often we need someone to watch over us, to guide and steady our day-to-day walk. And we have that someone – God our Father – who helps His children learn to walk, guides our steps, holds our hand, and keeps us on the right path.” For this truth I am incredibly grateful.

This past week, I gave a presentation in Wade Bradshaw’s class, Issues in Contemporary Culture, on the pursuit of happiness. That pursuit is especially relevant for this year, as we all are trying to figure out what will bring us true happiness. We hope to find happiness in a career, in a community, in a place, in a future family. We are all on the brink of so many important life decisions. And we all desire to be happy: happy with ourselves, with our careers, with our friends and family, with our relationships with the Lord, and ultimately with our day-to-day lives.

My hope is that with this year, we all can come to learn what it means to be truly happy. I hope we can rely on the Lord for our strength, and take comfort in the fact that God arms us with strength and leads us in the way everlasting. The Trinity Fellows Program is just one step forward on that path. There are so many things that we have learned thus far, and so many more to come. I am encouraged that Christ holds us and makes our paths secure, and God watches over us every step of the way. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

Anna grew up in the DC metropolitan area and has a background in systems engineering, psychology, and anthropological studies. While at UVA, she was involved in Intervarsity and was on the chapter’s outreach team. She also participated in the Cava- lier Marching Band and volunteered with Madison House, a philanthropic nonprofit, as a teacher’s assistant. In 2014 Anna did part of El Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile hike across northern Spain. Since graduation, she has worked as both a product manager and a teacher and is contemplating a career in education.